Martin, of Rosslyn Road, Whitwick, still speaks with the authority of an emergency worker when he recounts that day.

“I was the leading fireman on one of the Loughborough appliances,” said the 54-year-old, who spent 34 years in the fire service from 1980 onwards including three years in Loughborough.

“We were called around 5.20pm and I remember we went round the 300 Spartans and up the A6 to the fire.

“Lance Welbourne was the sub-officer in charge of the watch.

“The flames were coming out towards the front of the building and the fire was in danger of catching on the pub opposite.

“It was quite a severe fire and quite a sight to behold.

“And it caused us some problems.

“We had a spare appliance that day because our appliance was in for maintenance.

“We’d spent a while that day getting the appliance up to standard, making sure everything was as it should be, testing the ladders and bits.

“When we tried to operate the pump to get the water the throttle cable broke so we couldn’t get the pump to work.

“The landlord of the pub had to come out and sit in the cab and keep the throttle down so we could power the water out of the pump.

“It was such a large incident there was perhaps eight or nine appliances including those from Shepshed and Syston, and we also had to pump water out of the canal to put the fire out, as well what was in the pumps.

“We spent many hours there. We should have finished at 6pm but I think we were there until between 7.30pm and 8pm.

“The night crews were there all night and I think they were still in attendance until the early hours of that morning.

“Mr Taylor asked about the concrete balls and I remember some of these came crashing down into the road due to the intensity of the fire.

“The whole building had to be demolished as it wasn’t safe.

“We did manage to save the plumber’s next door and the pub.

“We also saved two workers who were in a flat at the back of the building who were unaware of the fire.

Mavis rang to tell us about her daughter Karen Baldock (now Hayes) and niece Dawn Platts (now Kynak), now of Windsor Road.

The pair, now aged 53, had been working at the factory that day.

The 74-year-old said: “I remember Karen got home, and about an hour after Dawn came up to our house on Old Ashby Road saying they probably wouldn’t have to go to work tomorrow as there had been a fire.

“She lived at the bottom of Alan Moss Road and she could see the fire and the smoke from there.

“Both had been there for a few years and they enjoyed working there.

“They went back to work about two weeks later but working for Midland Sportware on Edward Street.”

Annette Ellison of Loughborough also remembers working there.

“That was the first place I ever worked at.

“I started there in 1970 at the age of 16 straight from school.

“My Auntie Rita and Ella worked there too on overlocking and they helped me get the job there.

“We made foundation garments and I was trained on a machine which did a stitch called three throw.

“This made the reinforcement on girdles and bras.

“Jobs were in abundance in those days and I only worked there for about 10 months before moving on to Mansfield Knitwear where I spent many happy years.

“I do remember the fire but it was a long time after I’d left and I thought how sad it was for peoples jobs but lucky that no one was hurt,